Blank for shoe-soles and method of cuting same.



BLANK FOR SHOE SOLES AND METHOD OF CUTTING SAME.

APPLlCATION FILED DC.4, x915.

1,1985%, Patented Sept. 19,1916.

4 aw y B 1 1 I mmlllfl FFICE.

THOMAS H. GRAYDON, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BLANK FOE SHOE-SOLES AND METHOD OF CUTTING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 4, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS H. Gnavoon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blanks for Shoe-Sole and Methods of Cutting Same, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact drscription, reference being had to the ar "oirpanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to outer soles for shoes and has as its object the providing of a means for cutting out a shoe sole so that it uses the minimum amount of leather.

A shoe sole may be divided up into three parts, the toe portion, the shank portion and the heel portion, and the object of my invention more specifically stated is to so cut the soles of shoes that the toeportion where the wear comes is left intact the full thick ness of leather, thereby permitting a cross cut to be made in a single blank of leather so as to cut out the shank and heel portions of a sole from one thickness of leather.

The various forms of blanks and the method of cutting the same whereby said object is accomplished will be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

in the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for a right and a left sole to be out therefrom. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the cut made. Fig. 3 is a like view to Fig. 1, except that there are two rights. Fig. l is a plan view of a blank cut in the rough so as to arconinu'idate shoes of varying degrees of size and shape of last. the same being generally shaped for two right foot soles. Fig. is a perspective view of one of the soles formed out of the blanks by my new method of cutting. Fig. (3 is a. perspective view of a blank for forming two soles without any heel portion, the new cut being made so as to form toe and shank por tions only.

in cutting out soles -from a hide in the manufacture of shoes. it has always been the object to get as many soles as possible from a single hide. The cutting dies are set over the hide by an operative and the cuts fitted in as well as circumstances willv permit. Home. shoe manu'lacturers purchase blanks cut in the rough of various sizes 'out of which they cut their soles to it the desired lasts. Accordingly in providing my new blank I provide a form for cutting out on the job in the shoe factory and also a form Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Serial No. 65,111.

which will be suitable for leather houses to turn out in the rough.

The forms shown in Figs. 1 and 3 are adapted for use by cutters in the factory, and comprise toe portions 1, 1, formed at each end of the blank, and a common portion 2, which is cut so as to leave space for a shank and a heel portion. This portion 2- has the incurring portions 3, 3, at either end which take care of the shank and the central outcurving portion which takes care of the two heels.

The form shown in Fig. 4 has the same central portion 2 which may be more or less larger than it is figured that the manufaeturer may desire to have his shank and heel, and the toe 1 is not rounded at the end, but left. substantially square.

Among certain manufacturers of cheap shoes, it is the practice to form no heel at all on the outer sole, but on the contrary to form this portion of the sole, oydovetailing into the outer sole shank a heel lift of cheaperleather. Accordingly I provide a third form of blank (Fig. 6) wherein there are formed the same toe portions 1, 1, but wherein there is a central incurving cut -1- to provide for two shank members.

The method of forming the soles out of the blanks is a cheap and simpleoperation. Cutting machines are provided which slice across the middle of the blank beginning at the line 5 between the shank and toe portions on the finished surface of one end of the blank, cutting down at G on a slant to the central portion of the leather. then turning and forming a slice 7 parallel with the sides of the leather and then lastly turning downwardly and forming a cut 8 terminating at the line 9 between the shank and toe on the flesh side of the other end of the blank. This cutting forms an outer sole having the toe 1, the shank l0 and the heel 11, the latter portions being of half the thickness of the toe. The heel is then formed up by trimming on the dotted line 12 (Fig. 5), thereby shaping up the heel and cutting off the bevel at the terminus of the cut.

The blanks in Figs. 1 and 3 vary from each other by forming in the first case a right and left sole, and the other two right soles as formerly noted. In the case of the rough out blank the toe must also be trimmed and it seems clear without further illustration that a rectangular piece of leather could be cut in the manner described and the entire sole trimmed up by a suitable die or other means into the desired shape. This suggested rectangular hlank would not be as practicable as the form shown in the drawings because there would be more waste of leather.

The exact method of cutting need not be followed, although it is much preferable to other means. As for example, a straight slanting cut could be made, but this would result in having a shank of nonuniform thickness. The knife could be caused to enter the leather perpendicularly instead of on a slant, hut this would result in a sharp line oi demarcation betw'cen the toe and the. shank which would show up in the completed shoe. These cuts would thus approximate my invcntion; but only in spirit, as they would not be as useful owing to the disailvantages noted.

The two soles cut by my new method from my new blank would not be duplicates of each other. One oi the cuts would have the finished side of the leathc all along one surface, and this surface would be ready tor use on the bottom of the shoe. The other cut would have the toe of linished surtace, but the shank and heel would he unfinished. The preferred method of use of these soles is to use two of the unlinishcd shank pieces together in one shoe and two of the other forms in one shoe, in the case of the unlinishcd shanks to smooth and finish these por tions. in view of the fact that in shoemaking it now the practice to cut away some of the shank in order to give a light appearance, it would not he a matter of expense or labor cost in connection with my new outcr soles.

llaving thus dcscrihcd my invention. what- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is:

l. A method of cutting outer soles from a hide of leather, which consists in cutting outof the loathe a blank o't sutl'icicnt size to provide for two toe portions and one heel and shank portion and slicing across said blank so as to leave attached to each toe portion sutlicicnt leather for a shank and heel.

3. A method of cutting outcr solcs from a hide of leather, which consists in cutting outv of the leather a blank having two toe portions with an intermediate portion between them, and slicing across said blank inside of the two toe portions so as to form said intermediate portion into sole portions for *ach end of the blank, each oi a half thickness of leather.

3. A method of cutting outer soles from a hide ot leather, which consists in cutting out oi the leather a blank havii two too portions with an intermediate 'Lwccn them, and slicing across sai inside of the two toe portions, said slicing being made by an incision from one side to half the thickness oi the leather. a cut parallcl to the sides and a cut out of the leather on the other side.

4. method of cutting outcr soles troin a hide of leather, which consists in cutting out oi the leather a blank having two toe portions with an intermediate portion hetwccn them. and slicing across said blank inside oi the two toc portions. said slicing being made by an incision from one side to halt the thickness ot the leather. a cut par-- allcl to the sides and a cut out of the leather co the other side. with the incision and the latter cut being made at a slant, tor the purpose described.

A.- method of cutting out outer soles for shoes which consists in cutting a piece of leather ot' a length less than two complete soles. and slicing the leather parallel to the sides thereof at the portion thereof intermediate the ends so as to leave unsliced portions of the length of the toe portions for a sole at each side of the cut and portionsoi halt thickness where sliced.

(3. A method of cutting out outer soles for shoes which consists in cutting two soles from a large portion of the material at the same time, by first cutting out a blank 0'? leather and then slicing the blank by a cut substantially equal to the length of a shank portion and heel portion combined, said slicing being made by an incision from one side to halt the thickness of the leather, a cut parallel to the sides and a down 'ard cut out of the leather.

7. A blank from which outer soles tor shoes are to be cut, said blank being of one thickness of lcathcr and tormcd with an outline corresponding to that ot two complete soles set so as to overlap each other, with the widest portion of the heels in line with each other.

8. blank tor shoe soles. having length equal to two toe portions. a heel portion and two halt shank portions and havingits con tour cut so that a horizontal longitudinal slice will form two soles o substantially pcrtcct outline. with shanks and hecls. of partial thickness.

' 9. A blank from which outcr soles 't'or shoe. are to be cut. comprising two toc portions, and an intermediate portion which when sliced longitudinally between the inner cdgcs ot' the toe portions. will leave two reduced portions of thc length ot the desired sole having tocs otl tull thickness and remaining portions of partial thickness with no waste matcrial i'xccpl thc tapering ends lcit by the insertion of the slicing tool.

Tl-l tihinf i 

